Townend Realises his Dream

Monday, 11 May 2009

Oliver Townend realised a lifelong dream when he won the 60th anniversary Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and, at 26, became the youngest British rider to win since the likes of Ginny Elliot and Lucinda Green in the 1980s and 1970s.

Townend, a hugely successful and hard-working rider on the national circuit in Britain, not only took the £60,000 first prize, the largest single prize in the world, but also sprung to the top of the HSBC FEI Classics™ with one point in hand over Badminton runner-up William Fox-Pitt (GBR).

Townend and Edward Nicholson’s home-bred Flint Curtis, by William Curtis, were 3rd at Badminton, at their first attempt, in 2006, placed at the FEI World Equestrian Games that year and members of the winning British team at the 2007 FEI European Championships. But in a career of highs and lows, Flint Curtis missed Badminton in 2007 and 2008, and was withdrawn from Olympic selection before being pulled up at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials last year.

“When Flint Curtis first came to Badminton he was only 10 and it blew his brains,” explained Townend. “Now he’s 13 and has been to all sorts of competitions and we’ve grown up together. I’ve found different ways of keeping him calm and myself focussed. I came here just hoping to get the best out of the horse and that attitude has achieved a much better result.”

Tension escalated in the Jumping phase over Jon Doney’s subtly testing track, as some of the most costly rounds were incurred by higher placed riders feeling the pressure.

As anticipated, Fox-Pitt, 4th after Cross-Country, added to that pressure with a superbly judged clear on George and Jayne Apter’s French-bred Idalgo.

Sam Griffiths (AUS) rose five places to eventual 3rd with a clear on the 10-year-old Happy Times, the horse he is aiming at next year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Roberto Rotatori, the most successful Italian rider in history at Badminton, appeared to ease the top two riders’ tasks by having three fences down, but he only slipped one place to 4th when the unfortunate Lucy Wiegersma’s winning chance evaporated with a disastrous 4 fences down on Shaabrak, which dropped her to 6th.

Wiegersma’s demise left Townend with a fence in hand, but he needed to summon all his reserves of composure after he hit fence 7, leaving him with an alarming six fences, including a treble, to clear.

Four fences down obviously failed to improve Karin Donckers’ placing, but she did achieve Belgium’s most successful Badminton result , 7th place.

Ruth Edge (GBR) and Caroline Powell (NZL) hit three fences apiece to finish 8th and 9th, but among the horses finishing on their dressage score was 19-year-old Midnight Dazzler, ridden by Harry Meade (GBR), in 10th place. “I adore riding him,” said Meade. “He was very fit across country and has come out today feeling like a 7-year-old.”

Elizabeth Power (IRL), was frustrated to hit the final fence and drop two places to 11th, but she won the HSBC FEI Classics™ Special Prize of a training bursary to the most successful first-time 4* rider.

- Rosie Thomas (Barry’s Best, GBR) won the Glentrool Trophy for the highest rise after Dressage, 68th to 31st

- Elizabeth Power was the highest-placed under-25 rider; Emily Llewellyn, 22nd, was the highest-placed British rider.

QUOTES

Oliver Townend: “It was nerve-racking, as I knew that if we didn’t win, it would be down to my riding. I knew that if I did the right thing it would be OK. I’m 26 and I’ve bought a very expensive farm, so this win is going to help in a big way. It hasn’t sunk in yet, but winning Badminton is much more important than just money.”

William Fox-Pitt: “I’ve always believed in Idalgo from the moment I first got him seven years ago but things haven’t always gone his way. It’s taken a while to get him to Badminton and pull it off. Some horses aren’t lucky, and he’s been one of them. But this has renewed people’s faith in him. He’s very talented and fantastic to ride.”

Sam Griffiths: “Happy Times has always been a good show jumper and his rails down at Saumur (which they won) was uncharacteristic, but I warmed him up differently this time and he came to the party. I’m thrilled. I never expected to do as well as this.”

The HSBC FEI Classics™ , established last year, unites the top end of the international Eventing circuit, namely the five 4-Star Eventing competitions currently on the calendar. The Top Ten placed riders at each event receive points; the five riders with the highest number of points at the end of the season are awarded prize money.

PRIZE MONEYHSBC is contributing US$ 1million to the series over three years. This represents the biggest prize pot on offer in the sport of Eventing on an annual basis. At the end of each season, the five riders with the greatest number of points will be awarded PRIZE-MONEY as follows:
1st - US$ 150,000 (Series Champion)
2nd - US$ 75,000
3rd - US$ 50,000
4th - US$ 33,000
5th - US$ 25,000

POINTS SYSTEM
Points will be awarded to the Top Ten riders at each event as follows:
Riders can only win points with their best horse/performance at one event and if the combination has obtained a qualifying result. In case of equality of points, the best placed rider is the competitor with the lowest total of penalty points at the specific event (=differentiating score).
1st: 15 points
2nd: 12 points
3rd: 10 points
4th: 8 points
5th: 6 points
6th: 5 points
7th: 4 points
8th: 3 points
9th: 2 points
10th: 1 point